Multicontainer freight car



Oct. 29, 1929. F, K, FlLDES 1,733,726

MULTICONTAINER FREIGHT CAR Filed March 3, 1928 I5 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 29, 1929. F KM FlLDES 1,733,726

MULTI CONTAINER FREIGHT CAR Filed March 3, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 71g. 5.. ff/ /f/ 42 t L d,

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Oct. 29, 1929.

F. K. FILDES MULTICONTAINER FREIGHT CAR Filed March 3, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig/ 15.

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Planted oa. 29, 1929 UNITED s'ra'rlzs"V FREDERICK K. FILDES, 0F ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA MULTICONTAINER FREIGHT CAIR Application led Hatch 3, 1928. Serial No. 258,751.l

This invention relates to railway ears and has particular reference to reight or express cars of the multi-container type, that is to that type of car consisting of a plurality of independent closed containers each adapted to carry a consignment of goods, the

containers being independently and easily4 jury by the elements or other causes, in that;`

they provide a separate water and lire proof compartment for each fractional car load lot, which compartment is adapted to be loaded atv the store or factory of the consignor, locked and sealed, and placed upon the car in such position that it is impossible to open the closure of the compartment even though the lock and seal be broken. Moreover this method of handling fractional car load lois has been found to be of much greater convenience and more satisfactory in every way both to the railroads .and to the consi gnors and consignees.

The present invent-ion'provides a multicontainer car in which the several containers are held in proper spaced relation by vertical guides secured to the sides of the car, the guides being formed to facilitate the insertion of the containers and being spaced so that the containers are loosely held therebetween without binding, the guides alone suiiicing, without the use of auxiliary holding or locking devices, to retain the containers in proper spaced relation. The guides are constructed to be interchangeable and the containers are adapted to be reversed or interchanged in the pockets formed by the guides.

' An embodiment of the invention will now be particularly described by referring to the accompanying drawings of which:

Fig. 1 isa diagrammatic plan view of a car equipped to carry six containers;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the car, showing the lower portion of a con tainer;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a. container, parts being shown in section;

Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the container;

Fig. 5 is a' perspective view of an inter-I mediate guide;

Figs. 6 and are sectional views respectively on lines 6--6 and 7-7 of 5;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to 7, showing a slight modification;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of an end guide;

Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views respectively on lines 10-10 and 11-11 of Fig. 9; v

Fig. 12 is a view similar to Fig. 11, showing a slight modification; and

Fig. 13 is' a horizontal sectional view through another form of end guide.

The present invention is illustrated in con nection with a steel car of the flat-bottom gondola type, but of course the invention is not restricted to use in connection with this particular form of car. as it is well adapted to be applied to cars of other types. As indicated in Figs. l and 2, the sides 20, ends 21 and bottom 22 of the car are formed of steel plates riveted together, channel irons 23 defining the upper edges of the car and the bottom 22 having vertical ilanges 24 riveted to the sides 20. As the particular construction of the car forms no part of the invention. the construction of the car is not illust-rated in detail and need not be further referred to.

As illustrated, the car is adapted to carr six containers, being equipped with five pairs of intermediate guides 25 and two pairs of end, guides 26, adjacent pairs of guides form ing a container-receiving pocket. The number of container-receiving pockets provided on a car will of course depend upon practical considerations, suchl as the size of the indi vidual containers yand the length of the car.

The present invention has particular reference to the guides: for locating the. containers on the car and for holding them in proper spaced relation during transit. These guides consist of the intermediate guides 25, all of the guide consists of an elongated rectangular member adapted to be secured to the side of the car withits major axis vertical, as shown in Fig. 2. The member has a Aiange 27 which extends on both sides and at the bottom and is perforated to. receive the fastening rivets 28. The metal forming the guidev is bent, or dished inwardly from the ange 27 to form plane vertical faces 29 and a central rib A30, the latter being rectangular in cross section with its sides meeting the vertical faces 29 at a right angle. From a transverse plane near the top of the guide, the sides of the rib 30 are equally inclined towards each other, as shown at 31, forming a wedged-shaped end, and the vertical faces 29 terminate in bevel faces 32. The guide is stiifened by a pair of, transverse'webs 33. .As shown `in Fig. 2 the guide is positioned vertically between the bottom flange 24 and the inner flange-of channel 23, the flanges I of the guide resting Hush against the side plate 20 and being secured thereto by the rivets 28. Y

The end guides 26, illustrated in Figs. 9, 10 and 11, are adapted to be secured tothe sides of the car near the ends thereof, as indicated in Fig. l. 'According to the form of invention shown, the end guides are reversible so that any one of these guides is adapted to be secured at either end of the car or at either side. The guide is composed of an elongated rectangular member which is somewhat shorter and narrower than the intermediate guide. This end guidefhas 4side anges 34 and formed with holes for the Vreception of the fastening rivets. The metal ofthe guide is bent, or dished, inwardly from the iianges 34 to form a plane face 36 which A merges at both ends with beveled faces 37,.

From the flange 35the metal is bent to form a hollowvrib 38, the vertical inner face 39 of vwhich meets the vertical face 36 at a right angle and the ends of which merge with beveled faces 40, these beveled faces cooperating to guide the container when it is being lowered into the car. Either end of this guide is therefore adapted to be placed uppermost so that these guides are interchangeable.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a sheet metal container adapted to be used in connection with guides such as described above. In so far as the invention is concerned, however, the container may be of any suitable construction. As shown, the container is of box-like, or rectangular, form adapted ,to have its major axis disposed transversely of the car when the container is seated thereon. The walls of the container are of'sheet steel suitably reinforced, the side walls being stiiened by ,exterior vertical ribs 41 of U-shape in cross section and the rear wall being stilfened by interior ribs 42 of similar form. The front wall is formed with an opening rovided with a hinged closure or door 43 a apted to be locked by a suitable device 43. The angles or corners, of the container are overlapped by angle irons 44 which may be riveted to the v-walls Aor secured thereto by any other suitable means. The container has a wooden Vfrom the bottom of the car, which eliminates the possibility of water leaking through the bottom of the container. It is to be noted that the side walls of the container are inclined inwardly from a horizontal plane just below the ooring, providing a bottom bevel at both sides which facilitates the insertion of the container between the guides. For handling the container by means of a crane or other lifting device, the container is provided with two pairs of lifting eyes 48 which are pivoted in the bends offolded plates 49 riveted to the sides of the container at the top thereof. It `will beobserved that when the containers are seated in the car, their closures 43 will extend below the upper edge of the car rendering it impossible to open the containers as long as they are on the car.

The containers are held in proper spaced relation by the guides, the corners of the container looselyy engaging the dihedral right angles formed bythe vertical faces of the guides, no auxiliary locking or holding devces being used or needed., The upper beveled surfaces of the guides facilitates the operation of lowering the containers into the pockets formed by the guides. d

The form of guide may of course be varied to suit different dimensions of the cars and containers. Fig. 8, for example, shows an intermediate guide having its plane surfaces 29 spaced further from its flanges 27 than in the case of the guide shown in Figs. 5-7; and Fig. 12 indicates an end guide adapted to be used in connection with intermediate guides of this form, the plane surface 36 of this end guide being spaced from fiange 34 a distance equal to the distance between the corresponding parts of Fig. 8; Fig. 13 shows in horizontal. section astill different form of end guide 50 which may be advantageously used in certain cases, the guide consisting merely of a piece of angle iron having one flange adapted to be secured to the side `of the car andlhaving its other flange extendin at a right angle to oosely engage the ed e o the container.

It will be obvious to t ose skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the constructions .described above without altering the principle ofthe invention, and it is therefore not intended to restrict the scope of the invention except as defined by the claims.

Having fully described my invention, I claim: l

1. In combination with an open car, a plurality of vertical guides secured to the car at opposite sides thereof and uniformly spaced longitudinally of the car so as to receive and .hold in spaced relation a plurality of containers, the intermediate guides each comprising a vertical rib having plane vertical sides and vertical surfaces at each side meeting the sides of the rib at right angles to form dihedral angles in which the corners of adjacent containers are loosely engaged, and the end guides each comprising a vertical rib and a vertical surface meeting a side of the rib at a right angle to form corner seats for the end containers.

2. In combination with an open car, a plurality of vertical guides secured to the car at opposite sides thereof and uniformly spaced `longitudinally of the car so as to receive and hold in spaced relation a plurality of containers, each guide consisting of a member formed .with a vertical rib having a beveled upper end. a container being adapted to be lowered between the ribs on adjacent guides, the beveled ends of the ribs guiding the container and the sides of the ribs adapted to engage the container to prevent longitudinal displacement thereof.

ln combination with an open freight car, a plurality of guides secured to the car at both sides thereof and uniformly spaced longitudinally of the car, each intermediate guide comprising a member formed with a vertical rib having parallel vertical side faces in planes at right angles to the axis of the car and formed with vertical faces at each side of the rib in a plane at right angles to said side faces, and each end guide comprising a member formed with a vertical rib having'a face at one side thereof in a plane at right angles to the axis of the car and formed with a vertical face at right angles to said side face, and rectangular containers seated on the car, the corners of the containers loosely fitting inthe dihedral angles formed by the. guides.

4. In combination with an open freight car, a plurality of guides secured to the car at both sides thereof and uniformly spaced longitudinally of the car, each intermediate guide comprising a member formed with a rib having vparallel vertical side faces in planes at right angles to the axis of the car and formed with vertical faces at each side of the rib which meet the side faces at a right angle, the rib having a wedge-shaped upper en and each end guide comprising a member formed with a vertical rib beveled at both ends and formed with a vertical face at one side meeting the rib at a right angle, and a plurality of rectangular containers seated on the car and spaced by said guides.

5. In l:combination withv a steel car of the flat bottom gondola type, a plurality of vertical guides riveted to the inner side walls of the car and uniformly spaced longitudinally, each intermediate uide comprising a member formed .with sid which the casting is riveted to the walls of the car and formed with a central vertical rib and with vertical faces at each side of the rib meeting the sides of the rib at right angles, the upper ends of said faces merging with beveled faces and the upper end of the rib being wedge-shaped, and each end guide comprising a member formed with side flanges riveted to the car and formed with a vertical rib at one side having beveled ends and with a vertical face meeting the side of the rib at a right angle and merging at both ends with beveled faces, and a plurality of rectangular containers seated on the car and rloosely held by said guides.

6. A metal intermediate guide for freight containers consisting of an elongated rectangular body having side and bottom flanges perforated for attachment to the side wall of a car and having a central longitudinal rib formed with parallel sides and with a Wedge-shaped upper end and having raised plane surfaces at each side of the rib which meet the rib at right angles and merge at their upper ends with beveled surfaces.

7. A metal end guide for freight containers consisting of an elongated rectangular body having perforated lateral flanges and having a longitudinal rib offset from the center line formed with an inner plane face parallel to the center line and having a raised plane surface which meets said face at a right angle, said surface and` face merging with beveled surfaces at both ends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

FREDERICK K. FILDES.

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